Baiting the Horde.

Iris's wooden shield glowed a vivid green, with its intricate carvings coming to life as it expanded. Giant wooden branches sprouted from the shield like writhing tentacles, twisting and curling under her control.

 With a powerful motion, she drove the wooden tendrils into the muddy ground, each impact resonating like a drumbeat. The vibrations spread outward, catching the attention of the Stonelocust swarm. The insectoid creatures screeched, their segmented bodies twitching as they converged on her position, drawn by the taunting rhythm.

Behind her, Cryo crouched low, with his bracers emitting a constant frost that spread across the uneven ground. A shimmering path of ice formed wherever he moved, while the air around him was biting cold. As Iris slammed her shield into the ground, Cryo unleashed bursts of freezing energy, coating advancing Stonelocusts in frost and slowing their charge.

The live stream chat erupted in a flurry of reactions:

[Live Chat – 1.2M Viewers]

Lunatic66: What the hell is that shield? Is it alive?

NeoSpectre: Bro, are those branches growing out of it? That's INSANE.

WarpedPixel: Wait… Cryo just switched to a gauntlet? Last year he was using a STAFF??

Jinxed.exe: This team is so weird. I love it.

Overclocked42: Where did the other three go? They just letting these two handle it alone??

ByteRiot: Nah, no way. They're planning something. I can FEEL IT.

EchoFreak: If they pull another wildcard strat, I swear—

Their taunt proved effective as more and more Stonelocusts swarmed toward the two-man team, Hundreds of the creatures, including some larger and more dangerous C-class variants, gathered in the valley, with their chitinous bodies gleaming like polished stone under the dim light. 

Iris's wooden tentacles lashed out in all directions, slamming into the ground or crushing the closest Stonelocusts with precision. The chaotic movements of the tentacles created a constant thrum that amplified the taunt's effect.

Satisfied with the number they'd drawn in, Nioh's voice crackled over their communication channel. His tone was calm and calculated. "Good work. That's enough. Fall back. Cryo, make the path. Now."

The moment Nioh's signal came through, Cryo didn't hesitate. He slammed his gauntlet into the ground, releasing a blast of sub-zero energy. A shimmering, glassy path of ice shot backward, carving through the muck and uneven terrain like a frost-coated artery. He pivoted smoothly, sliding onto the newly created track with practiced ease.

"Iris, move!" he called, his voice sharp but calm.

With her shield up and glowing a faint green, Iris pressed herself back to Cryo without a word. Like living vines, wooden tendrils spread out from its surface, slamming and whipping into the Stonelocusts that were encroaching. Because she had complete faith in Cryo, she let him lead their retreat while she concentrated on defense. 

The two glided backward in perfect synchronization with movements that were fluid and instinctive. Cryo kept his eyes locked on the icy path ahead, his gauntlet pulsing with cold energy as he extended the trail with quick bursts. Every few seconds, he swiveled his other hand and fired sharp icicles at the closest Stonelocusts, shattering their stone-like carapaces with pinpoint precision.

Behind them, the horde surged, claws skittering against the ice as the Stonelocusts tried to gain traction. Their screeches echoed across the valley, their glowing red eyes locked onto their targets. The ground shook as larger C-class variants barreled through the swarm, sending smaller Stonelocusts tumbling in their wake.

"I've got your back!" Iris shouted, her shield slamming into a projectile—a piercing stone spike fired from one of the larger Stonelocusts. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward. Wooden branches shot out in response, striking the offending creature and sending it crashing into the swarm.

Cryo grinned beneath his helmet. "Nice hit."

"Keep moving," Iris replied with unshaken focus.

As they picked up speed, Iris's shield transformed again. The wooden tendrils shifted, growing longer and denser. They lashed out in rhythmic strikes, creating a barrier of crushing force that slowed the closest pursuers. 

One particularly bold Stonelocust leapt toward them, its sharped legs extended like spears. Without even looking, Iris spun, smashing it mid-air with a devastating sweep of her shield. The creature shattered on impact, its stone fragments scattering across the ice.

Cryo adjusted their trajectory, weaving the icy path around the stone spikes that erupted from the ground ahead. "Brace yourself—rough patch incoming!"

Iris tightened her stance, her shield absorbing another volley of projectiles. Cryo dropped to one knee mid-slide, firing a wide spray of frost over the advancing swarm. The freezing mist coated their legs, slowing the faster Stonelocusts and causing others to stumble.

The two moved like a single organism, each compensating for the other's actions. Cryo extended their escape route with precise bursts of ice, always staying a step ahead of the chaos behind them. Iris, meanwhile, alternated between taunting the horde with her rhythmic shield strikes and defending their retreat with crushing blows.

One of the larger C-class Stonelocusts broke through the swarm, its massive frame nearly twice the size of the others. Its glowing red eyes locked onto them as it raised a pair of ugly forelegs and stabbed them into the ground. Stone spikes erupted in a deadly wave, tearing through the frozen path ahead.

"I've got this," Cryo said, his voice steady.

He leapt forward, slamming both hands into the ground. A wall of ice erupted from the ground in front of the spikes, shattering the incoming attack. He spun, firing a concentrated blast of frost at the C-class, encasing one of its legs in a thick layer of ice.

"Cryo, heads up!" Iris shouted.

A smaller Stonelocust had closed the distance, leaping toward Cryo's exposed flank. Without missing a beat, Iris extended her shield's tendrils, wrapping them around the creature mid-air and slamming it into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave through the mud, splattering ice and dirt everywhere.

"Thanks," Cryo said, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Don't mention it."

The chase continued, the two gliding backward across the ice with a precision that left their audience in awe. Every action, every movement was deliberate. Cryo's freezing bracers created opportunities and slowed the swarm, while Iris's shield provided unrelenting defense and crushing counterattacks.

As they neared the rendezvous point, Cryo glanced at Iris. "Almost there. Keep them on us."

"Don't worry," she said with a grin. "They're not going anywhere."

[Live Chat – 1.7M Viewers]

Frostbyte99: WHOA, they're gliding across the ice! That's so badass!

NeonPulse: Look at the synergy—they're moving like one unit. It's like a dance!

Lunatic66: That shield is something else! Defense, offense, AND taunt all in one?? Aegis class just got a major upgrade.

SpectralWave: *I've been saying for YEARS that Cryo is underrated. Look at him—freezing the ground while firing ice shards. Dual utility, baby! *

Lunatic66: *But… how are they gonna deal with this? There are at LEAST three hundred Stonelocusts out there, and some are C-class. This isn't just a swarm—it's a full-blown HORDE. *

GlitchKidd: No shot. No way they're getting out of this clean.

Overclocked42: Unless… they've got something wild up their sleeve?

The chase intensified. Stone spikes erupted from the ground, summoned by the larger Stonelocust variants, but Cryo's gliding path weaved skillfully around them. Iris's shield tentacles intercepted any projectiles while continuing to slam into the ground, ensuring the swarm stayed focused on them.

As they neared the ambush point, Nioh's voice came through again. "Sol, Kol, get ready. They're coming your way. Prepare the strike."

"Copy that," Sol replied. Her tone carried a hint of excitement. " Let's light them up."